The New Reality: Your Next GPU Will Cost More
NVIDIA’s recent memory kit price increases refer to higher prices charged to add‑in‑board partners for bundled GPU plus GDDR6/GDDR7 modules, which are now being passed through to retail graphics card pricing and resulting in widespread GPU price increases for both current RTX 50‑series models and older GDDR6‑based cards. This is not a subtle adjustment; it is a structural change in how much the core components of a graphics card cost, and it is landing squarely on consumers. NVIDIA has told its board partners to brace for another round of price increases on GeForce GPU kits, with the latest notice covering both GDDR7‑based Blackwell cards and previous‑generation products still using GDDR6 memory. BenchLife reports that this follows an earlier price adjustment for the GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5090 D V2 in May, meaning we are now looking at a second kit hike in quick succession. In practice, gamers shopping for a new graphics card this year are unlikely to catch a break any time soon.
From GDDR Shortage to Kit Hike: Why Prices Are Surging
The core problem is not greed in a vacuum; it is scarcity. The GPUs continue to suffer from the instability caused by DRAM availability and pricing, and both NVIDIA and AMD have already adjusted the prices of their current‑generation GPUs multiple times in response. The driver behind the increase is a structural shortage of graphics memory as manufacturers redirect production toward AI‑focused HBM and server DRAM instead of consumer‑grade GDDR and standard DRAM chips. That squeeze is most painful with GDDR7. A 3GB GDDR7 chip currently costs between USD 60 (approx. RM276) and USD 70 (approx. RM322), compared with around USD 20 (approx. RM92) for a 2GB module—roughly three times the price for only 50% more capacity. According to BenchLife, this imbalance is reportedly why NVIDIA’s rumoured RTX 50 SUPER refresh, which would need those higher‑density 3GB modules across several SKUs, remains stuck in limbo despite finished hardware already sitting with at least one board partner.
How AIB Partners Turn Kit Hikes into Retail GPU Price Increases
NVIDIA does not sell bare chips; it bundles the GPU die with GDDR6 or GDDR7 memory into kits and sells those to add‑in‑board partners, who then mount them on custom PCBs and add coolers and packaging. When NVIDIA raises kit prices upstream, AIB partners have almost no room to absorb the shock. BenchLife says NVIDIA has sent a price increase notice that covers both GDDR6 and GDDR7 memory kits, and partners commonly purchase the GPU and VRAM together in this form. Since the prices of GDDR6 and GDDR7 kits are about to see a new hike, it is expected that AIBs will have no choice but to raise the GPU prices. In return, AIBs increase the prices of their GPUs, which is why we are already seeing cards that are 20–30% more expensive than before on the market. Moreover, this time the GPUs are going to see a substantial hike because AIBs are simultaneously facing higher costs for GPU coolers, PCBs and packaging, compounding the pressure on graphics card cost from every direction.
RTX 50 Series Pricing Shock and the First Wave of Consumer Pain
We are already seeing what these upstream changes look like at street level. The RTX 50 series currently sits at a 20–30% higher price than the pre‑“RAMpocalypse” period, with higher‑end GPUs selling for much more than their usual prices. One concrete example: a GIGABYTE RTX 5060 is now selling for about 3,215 Yuan or USD 475 (approx. RM2,185), up from around 2,600–2,700 Yuan or roughly USD 400 (approx. RM1,840) a week prior—a straight USD 75 (approx. RM345) price hike in just a few days, and a 16% increase that pushes this card to its highest price ever. According to a user track of recent listings, this surge hit within two to three days of NVIDIA’s memory kit hike notice. While RTX 5060 pricing remains around USD 350 (approx. RM1,610) in some markets, reports warn those prices are unlikely to stay there for long as the new kit costs propagate. GPU prices have already increased 20–30% above where they were not long ago, and this latest round of kit hikes suggests there is more pressure to come across the RTX 50 series pricing stack.
No Escape: Older GDDR6 Cards, High-End Builds, and What Comes Next
The most worrying part of NVIDIA’s second GPU kit hike is its scope. BenchLife’s translated account says partners received official notification of kit price increases covering “GeForce products using GDDR6 memory” in addition to the GDDR7‑based Blackwell lineup, extending all the way to revived RTX 30‑series cards like the RTX 3060 12GB. Overall, we can expect a significant impact on GPUs, including previous‑generation cards that had largely remained less available than the RTX 50 series. Enthusiasts building high‑end systems now face compounding costs across memory, GPUs and supporting components, as AIBs report higher prices not only for VRAM but also for coolers, PCBs and packaging. With the memory shortage showing no signs of easing and AMD following a similar path on its own Radeon cards, there is little reason to expect the trend to reverse for PC builders and upgraders in the months ahead. The first country‑specific spikes, such as the RTX 5060’s rapid jump, are unlikely to remain isolated for long, as observers warn the trend is likely to be seen worldwide very soon. In blunt terms, gamers looking for a new graphics card this cycle should plan around materially higher graphics card cost, not hope for clearance‑bin miracles.
